Andria Zafirakou

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39 | Art and textiles teacher, Alperton Community School, London, UK

Teaching for 12 years in a community where she herself was born and raised, Andria Zafirakou has redesigned the arts curriculum at Alperton Community School in north-west London. Zafirakou has been able to reach out to her students by learning basic phrases from many of the 35 languages spoken in the local area in order to understand their often difficult lives. Her work was recognised earlier this year at the Global Education and Skills Forum where she was awarded the Varkey Foundation’s annual Global Teacher prize. Zafirakou will use the $1m prize to found a charity, Artists in Residence (AiR), which will connect artists with schools and encourage students to pursue creative careers.